Framework: [5.2][Question][Database] Using a "boolean" field in migration and eloquent does not play nice together

[tuupke]

We have implemented a model which has a boolean property (called "public"). The migration we used to create the table adds the column using: $table->boolean('public')->default(false);. However, setting this property to any value and then saving it will still yield a "0" in that column in the database.

Am I missing something or might I have stumbled upon a bug? Note that the field is also present in the $casts attribute in the model.

[mark86092]

Are you use mysql? In mysql, the true is stored as 1, the false is stored as 0, the type boolean is tinyint(1)

[tuupke]

To be frank, the answer does not even come close to providing an answer to the issue. When trying to provide a full (code) example I figured out the reason I was getting the odd behaviour.

The header used to send the request was application/x-www-form-urlencoded which as we know does not play nicely with "true"-values. But the behaviour is still very strange. Because any value we set the public property in the model, will yield a returned value of "true" while it is actually stored as "0" in the database.

I'm not sure whether this is an intended feature or a side effect, but it might be good for other people who have the same issue to see what causes it.

[mark86092]

Can you provide a short example how you store your model?

[GrahamCampbell]

It's sounding a lot like the case where people override the constructor then forget to call the parent.

[tuupke]

Below is a minimal example, @GrahamCampbell; I'm not overriding the constructor but still run into the issue.

The model:

class Test extends \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model
{
    protected $casts = [
        "public" => "boolean",
    ];

    protected $fillable = [
        "public",
    ];
}

Minimal route to create the model:

Route::post('/', function (Illuminate\Http\Request $r) {
    return App\Test::create($r->all());
});

Migration to generate the table:

Schema::create('tests', function(Blueprint $table){
    $table->increments('id');
    $table->boolean('public')->default(false);
    $table->timestamps();
});

Now if you call the route using a properly structure json string (and headers) i.e.

{
    "public": true
}

It works fine. But when we use normal form data i.e.

public=true

Note that by default this is the behaviour of Swagger when using booleans in normal "form" calls instead of the (maybe) more applicable checkbox syntax; which is the original environment I encountered the issue in. It could therefor be that more people would run into this issue. But I can well imagine that this is a "won't fix".

[mark86092]

Check public in your $r->all(), it seems string, "true".

I mean, you should make sure your model received boolean true, not string "true".

App\Test::create(["public": true]); should work

[polyma]

I'm having the same issue - application/x-www-form-urlencoded form being sent with true/false values. I perform a ternary $options->autoLix = ($request->get('autoLix') === 'true' ? 1 : 0) and none of it works. I replace 1,0 with true, false; "true", "false"; TRUE, FALSE etc. No difference.

I return the model like this:
$options->save();
return Response::json($user->liOptions);

and it shows as updated in the json response, with the correct true/false values (which shows that my ternary operator, above, is working as expected) but when I then call the model in artisan tinker or via an http route the value doesn't change. Most infuriating.

[polyma]

As an update, I've had success in giving an id field to the table, which I hadn't before.